Many students dream of studying in another country because of greater exposure, value and greater quality of education, which is gained by studying at an international college. Students who study in an international college also have greater career option open to them after completion of their studies, but international students are also at disadvantage because they have to bear greater costs during their education. Especially students from developing countries feel it impossible to fund their studies abroad without some kind of financial aid. The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) is an international scholarship program under which aid is provided to bright international students.

The CSFP was first established in 1959 with the aim to provide scholarships and fellowships to students of commonwealth countries. Under this program the education ministers of commonwealth countries met in Oxford, UK and decided that all commonwealth countries will provide aid to students from other commonwealth countries, since then over 25,000 students have been provided with these scholarships and fellowships.

There is no central body that awards all these scholarships but there is a body by name of national nominating agency that is given responsibility to publish all these scholarships. Individual scholarships are offered by agreements between member countries.UK is the biggest contributor to this overseas scholarships program. The scholarships offered b UK are managed by the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission with financial aid from Department for International Development, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. UK provides scholarships at different level to students from developing countries. It provides:

Scholarships for postgraduate study.

Split-site Scholarships for PhD students to spend up to one year in the UK.

Academic Fellowships for staff in developing country universities.

Scholarships for Master degree students from developing countries under distance learning program.

Professional Fellowships for mid-career professionals from developing countries

In addition to above mentioned programs many other overseas scholarships program are run by UK government for students from different countries. Students can conveniently search for all these programs on the website of Commonwealth Scholarship Commission.

There are also many more scholarship programs under The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan. These programs are offered under several agreements between home and host common wealth countries. Students form commonwealth countries can search for all these programs over internet. All of scholarships offered under CSFP are generally merit based and there is a tough completion for each award. Apart from scholarships offered by CSFP students can also search for many more overseas scholarships over scholarship search engines available on the internet.

A lot of students are interested in studying in the UK. Along with getting the chance to experience the local culture, students feel assured that the teaching will be of high quality and their qualification will be of international standard.

However, study and living costs in the UK are high, and before you get a student visa, you will need to prove that you have enough money in the bank to support yourself without working in the UK. The good thing is that you can fund your studies in the UK with a scholarship or grant; these financial aids are available to those students who need full coverage or partial assistance.

International Student Scholarship Basics

Before submitting an application to get a scholarship, you should find out all the necessary details about the university you wish to enter and the foundations you are looking to get aid from. You can also get information by contacting the British Council or the British Embassy; these two can particularly be helpful in determining the financial costs of living in the UK.

When applying for an international student scholarship in UK, you must submit your application at least a year before the start of school. Make sure that the application form is properly filled and contains accurate information. Also, keep in mind the other requirements for the scholarship.

The amount of money that you can get as an international post graduate student depends on the scholarship you apply for. With some scholarships, you get the money for the entire course; with some other scholarships you get a monthly stipend that will cover your living expenses.

Scholarship Programs

Given below are two of the major scholarship programs for international students at the postgraduate level:

1) Overseas Research Students Awards Scheme (ORSAS): This program is sponsored by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. You can win this scholarship if you’re interested in full-time study to get a research degree. It covers the difference in cost between the home country and tuition fee rate. The selection is made based on the student’s academic record and research abilities.

2) Royal Society Fellowships: The fund awards fellowships to postdoctoral scientists from Asia and North America to come to UK and do their postgraduate research at a UK laboratory. US researchers can expect financial aid for up to two years. The research can be in any field of the natural sciences.